Life is What Happens to You While You're Busy Making Other Plans
by Storywriter55
Summary: There's talk about the birds and the bees, a gala luncheon, a hostage situation and an undercover operation. Just another day in the Ellis-Caffrey household. Part of the Milestones series, takes place between 'A Bump in the Road' and 'New Beginnings'
1. Chapter 1

**Life is What Happens to You While You're Busy Making Other Plans**

_There's talk about the birds and the bees, a gala luncheon, a hostage situation and an undercover operation. Just another day in the Ellis-Caffrey household. Part of the Milestones series, takes place between 'A Bump in the Road' and 'New Beginnings'_

_Title taken from a famous John Lennon quote._

**Chapter 1**

4.3 years

'So? Anything yet?' Neal asked looking up from his computer screen as Sara made her way into the kitchen

He was sitting at his laptop checking the headlines while Hope sat, still sleepy, in front of her bowl of cereal. It was a beautiful early summer day and the sun was streaming into the kitchen giving everything an unusually bright and cheerful glow.

'NO, Neal. And stop asking' replied Sara, her response abrupt as she made her way to the coffee maker and grabbed a cup from the kitchen cupboard

'You can't blame a guy for being interested' Neal responded, standing and making his way to stand by his wife

Sara softened immediately as she got a glimpse of his baby blues staring down at her. As usual, she had been a little too quick to answer, letting her own anxiety seep through her curt reply.

'I'm sorry' she said, touching his cheek 'of course, you're interested. It's just that I'm anxious too and I feel like I'm disappointing you every time it falls through and - '

Neal interrupted as he reached for her and pulled her to him. 'Sara, you could never disappoint me. I'm sorry if you feel like I'm putting pressure on you. I just…. I just keep hoping that _this _is the month, you know?'

'What month?' asked Hope, suddenly picking up on her parents' conversation

Sara and Neal stared at each other – they had forgotten for a moment that she was sitting there, listening to every word they were saying.

'The month of June!' said Sara spontaneously, not knowing why she was feeling so flustered. The real answer to Hope's question might lead to a lot of other, much more sensitive questions that she just wasn't prepared to answer right now.

Neal rolled his eyes at his wife and sat back down next to Hope intending to give her more of a complete explanation. Hope was smart and nothing got past her – Neal had figured that out a long time ago.

'Remember, Mommy and I told you we'd like to have a baby brother or sister for you to play with?' he explained

Hope nodded, really not getting the connection between her innocuous question and her dad's answer.

'Well…' he started, totally flustered himself and not knowing how to go on.

'Finish up your breakfast, sweet pea. We need to drop you off and I have to be at the office in 45 minutes' Neal finally uttered, at a loss for words. This was definitely not the right time to have the 'where do babies come from' talk with his four year old.

Hope was precocious in all things – she had a healthy curiosity for life and apparently that included the birds and the bees. Add to that, the fact that she had recently walked in on her parents engaged in a hot and heavy lovemaking session - which had motivated Neal to install a lock on their bedroom door and had definitely put a damper on his enthusiasm for a couple of days.

Hope looked up at Neal, questioningly. For some reason she couldn't fathom, her innocent question had elicited an unusual response from her normally cool and collected dad and she finally just gave up, looking down at her bowl of granola and taking one last bite.

The family prepared to go their separate ways for the day; Neal had been working a case at the White Collar Unit for the past month and he was just finishing up the paper work while Sara had a few more weeks to go at Sterling Bosch before they took time for a family holiday sometime in July.

Over the summer months, Hope was cared for by Donna Mason, her best friend Olivia's mom and close friend to the Caffreys. The Masons lived three houses over so this was ideal for Neal and Sara who would simply drop her off on their way to work. Hope would be starting school in the fall and she was very excited at the prospect; the fact that she would be sharing the experience with her best friend made it all the more fun.

Neal and Sara drove to the ride and park together, preparing to take the train into Manhattan to their respective jobs when the subject returned to Hope and her earlier question.

'We're going to have to have 'the talk' with her sooner or later' said Neal

'I vote for later... Isn't four years old a bit young for us to be explaining the birds and the bees?' asked Sara, who would've been more than happy to put off the discussion until Hope was in her twenties

'I've been reading about it online…' Neal answered 'You just have to go with answering the child's question directly; don't give more information than what they ask for. You know that old joke about the father who launched into a long explanation about reproductive sex when his kid asked where he came from. Then the kid says, 'Oh, 'cause Johnny comes from Chicago'

Sara laughed. When Hope had walked in on them, she hadn't seemed particularly upset, just surprised and taken aback to see her dad seemingly playing horsey with her mom. She had asked Sara if she was alright because she'd heard her moaning – that and seeing her dad in that unusual pose was enough to make her question whether her mom was hurt in some way. Sara had mumbled something about her and Daddy playing a special grown up game and Hope had finally let it go, leaving Neal totally in shock and reluctant to resume activities until they could be sure they wouldn't be interrupted. After years of Mozzie walking in on them, he couldn't believe he now had to contend with a curious four year old.

'Well, there are books that explain where babies come from. Maybe we can pick something up and start getting her ready' suggested Sara

Neal looked up, thrilled at the prospect that there might soon be a baby that _required _explanations.

'Neal, it's two days, okay? I'm just two days late. Please, don't read too much into it' she said, hoping to bring down his expectations a notch.

Since her cancer surgery more than two years before, Neal and Sara had steadfastly worked at having a second baby. They knew the odds were against them – after all, Sara only had one functioning ovary and add to that the residual damage from chemotherapy and Dr. Cooper had given it a 20% chance of success. But this did not dissuade Neal who continued to hope and give it his best shot, reading about all the little things they could do to improve their odds including encouraging Sara to lay still in bed for twenty minutes after every lovemaking session – a new habit that was driving her crazy.

'This could be it, though!' he added with a twinkle in his eye as he parked the car and they both prepared to catch their train.

WCWCWC

'Olivia said that daddies pee inside mommies to make babies' Hope said, totally out of the blue as Neal prepared to tuck her into bed.

Neal let his mouth drop, not quite sure how to respond and sat by her on the bed trying to maintain eye contact.

'Honey, daddies do _not_ pee inside mommies to make babies' he responded calmly, hoping that was enough of an answer

'Well, how _do you_ make babies then?' she looked up at Neal, eyes bright and blue

Neal wondered how _he_ got roped into putting Hope to bed and took a deep breath, reminding himself of the importance of keeping the information factual and brief. This was the perfect opportunity to use his refined ability at deflection although he didn't want to be dishonest in any way with his daughter.

'Well, you _do_ need a mommy and a daddy to make a baby' he continued looking at her and gauging her reaction

'Oh, okay' she said as she turned and grabbed her stuffed elephant and placed it on her pillow.

Neal did a double take; was that really all there was to the question? He sighed in relief.

'So how _do_ they make it, then?' she continued

Dammit, he'd almost gotten away with that one, he thought.

Neal cleared his throat. He reminded himself that they had always been honest with Hope and careful about using accurate vocabulary to describe body parts and bodily functions. This wasn't the time to go all modest and shy on her; after all, sex was one of the most natural things on earth… and so were babies.

'Well, daddies have what's called sperm and mommies have eggs that are called ovaries and when they get together, it makes a baby' said Neal, trying to sound casual and wondering why this was so difficult even for him, Mr. Silvertongue.

'Okay' said Hope, once again as she turned and snuggled up to the stuffed toy. 'Good night, Daddy'

'Goodnight, sweet pea' said Neal as he playfully tugged her nose

He made his way back downstairs to the family room where Sara was sprawled out on the couch catching up on e-mails and sipping a cup of tea.

'Dodged a bullet on that one' he muttered as he took a spot next to her on the couch

'What?' she asked looking at Neal's face and noticing he was slightly flushed

'Hope just asked me how babies are made' said Neal

'You're kidding! Wow, glad I offered to clean up after dinner' Sara responded, grinning

Neal gave her a sarcastic smirk as he continued: 'Well, I got away with giving her a minimum of information and she seems satisfied for now but you know Hope, she'll be back with a follow-up question before you know it'

Sara was half listening, intent on getting through the numerous e-mails she hadn't had time to get to during her day at the office. There were meetings to set up, instructions to pass on to her underlings and numerous responses to provide to her superiors.

'There's a bookstore up the street from the office' added Neal 'Maybe I could stop in and see if I can find an appropriate book for her'

'Good idea' said Sara, distracted as she continued to read

'Good, 'cause the next round is all yours' said Neal, jostling her and making her giggle

'So, no period yet?' he added, as an afterthought, laying his head on her shoulder

'Neal, please! You'll be the first to know, I promise' said Sara, pushing him away playfully and returning to her laptop.

'No, this can't be happening!' she said suddenly as she read from the screen

'What?' asked Neal, sitting up

'My staff appreciation luncheon on Thursday…'

'Yeah' he said, urging her to continue

'They've moved us to the Fountain room from the Ballroom' she said, madly typing on her keyboard

Neal looked at her, puzzled.

'There was a kitchen fire at the Westin and this stupid art exhibit is being moved to the Ballroom at the Kent'

'Oh yeah?' said Neal 'That exclusive Renoir exhibit – with the private owners?'

He and Peter had been discussing that very event earlier in the day. Private owners across Europe and North America were holding a very elite conference to discuss the artist, his life and times and share pieces of art from their private collections. He had actually consulted on the security with the Westin to make sure they had taken all necessary precautions to prevent a theft.

Elite art exhibit or not, Sara was fuming; she'd been entrusted with organizing Sterling Bosch's staff appreciation luncheon and had been working non-stop on the project for the past month. The company had upwards of 120 employees and it wasn't easy to find a suitable venue in New York. Sara had worked diligently seeing to every detail including the menu, staff appreciation gifts, speeches, entertainment and of course the location, which was the most important element of all.

She scrolled down to the attachment, the contract with the hotel, noting a clause that clearly stated that the Kent reserved the right to move them to another comparable room at their sole discretion. How had she let that clause slip by her, she wondered.

'Damn! I really wanted the ballroom' she exclaimed as she began madly writing a response to her contact at the Kent

Neal took one look at the crazy lady sitting next to him; he knew better than to cross Sara Ellis and he'd learned a long time ago to stay out of her way when she got like this.

'I think I hear Hope calling' he lied, standing and making his way out of the room

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

'How's the report coming?' asked Peter mischievously as he strolled down to the bullpen towards Neal's desk

Neal had finished paying his debt to society almost four years before and had been off anklet ever since, doing freelance work as an art authenticator for a number of insurance companies as well as working the odd case for the FBI. Peter would call Neal in when he needed his advice on unusual cases and Neal had continued with the odd undercover assignment (because he was still Neal, after all) although he was much more selective now that he had a family to think about. This latest case had resulted in them collaring a thief who had successfully broken into the homes of a half dozen of New York's elite before getting caught when Neal was able to identify his next probable target.

Just to bug him and because he could, Peter had assigned the odious task of writing up the case report to his partner which, as far as Neal was concerned, had always been the worst part of any case.

Neal gave him his best bored look and shook his head. 'Explain to me again why I still have to write these damn reports now that I'm off anklet'

'Because you're a junior member of the team and I like to torment you whenever I can' answered Peter – which of course was exactly the reason why.

'Did you buy me a book?' Peter said, continuing to tease Neal and grabbing the Barnes and Nobles bag from his ex-CI's desk

Neal just crossed his arms, waiting for the moment Peter would realize what he was holding and relishing the anticipation of the embarrassed look he was about to see on his partner's face.

'Oh' said Peter, as he took in the title of the book : 'How Babies are Made'

'Yes! And Peter, I thought you wouldn't mind reading it to Hope when she comes over to your place to visit this weekend' said Neal, pleased with himself

'Hum…' an embarrassed Peter said as he put the book back inside the bag.

'Believe it or not, your goddaughter is already asking questions about babies and how they're made' volunteered Neal

'Really? But she's only four years old' said Peter

'You've always said she was smart beyond her years. Plus, she walked in on Sara and me the other night…'

Peter groaned at the thought.

'Needless to say, I've installed a lock on our bedroom door' added Neal

Peter nodded in agreement as he thought of how uncomfortable he would be if Hope ever walked in on him and Elizabeth. She slept over there frequently and he would have to talk to El about how they could make sure they didn't suffer the same fate.

'Sara might be pregnant' Neal confided, in a whisper as if it was some high security piece of intel

'Really?' said Peter 'That's great'

'Well, it's a little too early to tell for sure but a guy can hope' answered Neal, wistfully

Peter knew how much Neal and Sara wanted another baby. Sara had suffered a miscarriage following her cancer surgery and she had been heartbroken; and so had Neal. The thought that Hope might be an only child had saddened the couple and Peter and Elizabeth had been praying their friends would have a second chance at parenthood.

'Peter!' interrupted Diana as she walked toward Neal's desk looking frazzled. 'There's a robbery going down at the Kent Hotel'

Neal's ears perked up as he realized the art exhibit had been moved there.

'The Renoir exhibit?' asked Peter as he stood, immediately beginning to mobilize his staff

'Yeah, NYPD are already on the scene. Apparently, there's a hostage situation' Diana added

WCWCWC

Sara left her office just after noon to make her way to the Kent Hotel. She was spitting nails over the hotel's decision to move their luncheon to a smaller room and she had called and asked for a meeting with the event coordinator, Wesley Jennings. She had 24 hours in which to convince him to change his mind and she was determined to give it her best shot.

Mr. Jennings had been more than helpful and solicitous when it was time to sign the contract for the event but he seemed to be falling down somewhat on the follow through. She had called him first thing after she'd arrived at the office to arrange a meeting with him to discuss the situation. She realized she would be unlikely to change his mind but she could certainly try and give him a hard time – maybe even get him to sweeten the deal if she could make him feel badly enough. Why should a stupid kitchen fire at the Westin have an impact on Sterling Bosch's long awaited staff appreciation luncheon?

Sara had approximately 20 investigators and 8 administrative staff reporting directly to her in her role as Investigative Analyst and she knew how hard each and every one of them worked. After all, she had been in the field for many years herself and she knew the job was gruelling and time consuming. She had volunteered to spearhead the organization and management of the luncheon and she'd been looking forward to giving each of the members of her team as well as the rest of her Sterling Bosch colleagues a luncheon to remember.

She sat in the cab, thinking about Hope and her sudden interest in babies. Maybe she knew something she and Neal didn't know yet. She absent-mindedly touched her stomach, smiling. Her period had been due on Sunday and she hadn't wanted to get too far ahead of herself (again!) Ever since her surgery, her periods had been off and she'd had more than a few disappointments over the past two years as she and Neal continued to work diligently at giving their daughter a sibling. Neal was always a little more disappointed than she was, it seemed, and she vowed that if this was just another false alarm, she would keep any future expectations to herself so she wouldn't have to see the regret in his eyes when it inevitably fell through. It would be tough, though, because he watched the calendar like a hawk and he would ask about her period on a daily basis. At some point, she wasn't sure when, they would have to make peace with the fact that Hope might be an only child.

It was ten to one when she arrived at the hotel and she made her way down to the service quarters on the lower lobby where she had met with Mr. Jennings once before. She could hear some noises coming from the service entrance as she walked by and she peeked in noticing some crates and boxes in what appeared to be a loading dock/mail room. Probably the art from the exhibit which was going to be set up for the following day, she mused. She strode through the bowels of the building, her stiletto heels clicking against the cement floor, until she arrived in the small office where the event coordinator had met with her on her previous visit. She peeked into Wesley Jennings office and waved to let him know she'd arrived.

'Ms Ellis, how are you' he said 'please, have a seat'

'Mr. Jennings, I appreciate you seeing me although you may not be very happy when you hear what I have to say' said Sara, taking a seat across from him

'I understand that you're disappointed about us moving your luncheon but I can assure you that the Fountain Room...

'I know, I know, it's a lovely room, Mr. Jennings. It's just not the room we had in mind when we chose the Kent for our event' Sara said, interrupting

'Ms Ellis, I'd like to suggest a few upgrades to our original contract. It would be my pleasure to throw in a couple of gift certificates for two nights' stay here at the Kent' he began hoping to bring his client around

'That's all very well' answered Sara, hoping to sweeten the deal even more 'but that doesn't give me the room I was promised for my luncheon'

'Perhaps if - ' Jennings responded

He was interrupted by a loud popping noise coming from up the hall. If Sara didn't know better, she would have sworn it was a...

A second gunshot was fired and this time there was no mistaking the source of the sound. Sara instinctively stood to make her way towards the noise followed by Mr. Jennings who had taken the time to call security before making his way behind her. Following the source of the noise, she made a turn down the hallway walking straight into a room off the loading dock and as she turned the corner, she walked right into a masked man, gun in hand. He saw Sara and Jennings coming at him and seemed to panic, drawing his gun and pointing it directly at the event coordinator who stopped dead in his tracks, panic filling his eyes.

The masked man aimed his gun and fired a shot at him, hitting him in the shoulder while grabbing Sara in one swift movement and dragging her into the room with him. Sara was pulled off balance, her ankle twisting and the heel of her shoe breaking off as she swore under her breath. Those were $600 Louboutin shoes and she'd only worn them twice before. She struggled to get free from her assailant but she was no match for the six foot two thug who roughly pushed her into the room, slamming the hallway door behind him.

'What are you doing, Mateo?' said a second masked man who was pacing the room, glancing nervously towards the door leading out to the loading dock

'Shut up' the other man answered gruffly as he continued to push Sara towards a metal chair that sat by a desk.

'I just got us a little insurance policy, that's all. This pretty little lady is going to make sure we get out of here with what we came to get' said the man she now knew as Mateo.

Sara quickly took stock of the situation. She could see a uniformed man lying on the ground by the desk, immobile and she knew instinctively that he was dead. She shivered at the thought and stopped fighting her aggressor letting him push her down onto the chair as he ordered a third man to grab some rope from the back of the room and tie Sara's hands and feet to the chair.

The third man, also masked, moved hesitantly following orders and after finding a spool of nylon twine he made his way to where Sara sat, her hair mussed and her breathing shallow. She kicked off her remaining shoe thinking she needed to be mobile if she got the chance to escape at any point. Her mind was firing on many levels all at once, and she reminded herself that keeping her wits about her was essential if she was going to get herself out of this conundrum.

All around the room were crates and boxes, obviously the treasure the trio of thieves had come for. She couldn't fathom how the art could have been left unsecured save for the poor employee who had just lost his life over it. She remembered Neal saying that he had advised the Westin on security measures and she deduced that the move to the Kent had happened so quickly that things had been done rather sloppily.

'You're a pretty little thing' said the third man taking his time wrapping Sara's wrists securely and running his hand suggestively over her arm. She smelled his foul breath on her face as he spoke and she winced at the odor.

'Joey, cut it out' said Mateo 'Just do as you're told'

It was obvious to Sara that this guy was the ringleader and that they had all gotten themselves into a mess they hadn't foreseen.

Of course, she was a fine one to talk... she'd just managed to get herself right in the middle of a hostage situation.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

'Peter, send me in' Neal pleaded

'No, Neal. I'm not sending you into a hostage situation' answered Peter, brushing him off

They had arrived on the scene to find that NYPD had cordoned off the front of the hotel and had cars flooding the vicinity. Peter had taken over the operation and had begun discussing strategy with the senior police officer on site, a lieutenant Sanders, who thankfully seemed to be a reasonable man and had welcomed the White Collar Unit's arrival on the scene. They were joined by the hotel's manager, a young man who was clearly out of his depth but who had been instrumental in providing plans of the building as well as a list of employees and guests.

'Look, I can go in as a security guard or a maintenance guy... At least, you'll have ears on what's going on in there. Nothing heroic, I promise' Neal continued

Neal knew he could talk his way out of pretty well any situation and if he could help them catch these guys and keep an innocent hostage from getting hurt, he was more than happy to try. With the assistance of the NYPD, Peter had set up a perimeter around the loading dock of the hotel where they suspected the thieves were holed up. But at the moment, they didn't know how many of them they were dealing with or what the situation was with the hostage or the employee who was still inside. One staff member of the hotel had been shot in the shoulder and had been taken to hospital. He had yet to be interviewed and although the hotel had been evacuated, a second employee who had been manning the loading dock was still unaccounted for.

According to the hotel manager, the art had arrived that morning by armored truck but once it had been left at the loading dock, it was under the supervision of one lone employee until bonded staff was scheduled to arrive in early afternoon to move the art to the hotel's ballroom under security surveillance. The move to the Kent had been sudden and had not been publicized in any way and those responsible for the exhibit felt that the window was very small for anyone to make a move on the coveted art. Obviously, they had been wrong.

Peter looked at Neal, unblinking. Dammit, he always made such compelling arguments. Peter sighed deeply at the realization that if anyone could sweet talk his way onto a crime scene and provide them with the intel they needed, it was Neal. He briefly glanced over at Jones and Diana standing nearby awaiting orders and he could see they were also holding their breath to see what he would decide.

'Alright' he said finally 'but listen – no high jinks. I mean it, Neal. Just try to get us some information on what's going on in there and don't be a hero' added Peter

Neal nodded as Peter handed him a one-way transmitter in the form of a watch and radioed to get him a hotel uniform to change into. He knew his partner had come a long way since his crazy days as a CI and he trusted that if Neal was offering to go in, it was because he was confident he could do things safely and bring the hostage situation to a peaceful resolution. Storming the place precipitously was not an option with at least one hostage's life hanging in the balance and they already knew these guys weren't afraid to use the gun or guns they had at their disposal.

Within five minutes, Neal had morphed into a member of the maintenance staff of the Kent Hotel complete with an unflattering green uniform identifying him as 'Tim'.

'Now listen, if you can get yourself and the hostage to a safe place, we'll storm the room. If you have that opportunity or if you feel you or the hostage are in any immediate danger, just say 'What are you guys after, anyways?' and we'll be right there'

Neal nodded once again, anxious to get going with his mission. Some poor innocent person was being held inside and he needed to know if the loading dock attendant was safe.

'Right' he answered, adrenaline pumping through his veins.

The hotel was deserted as Neal made his way to the lower floor. He had taken a quick look at the building plans and knew where he was headed; he just hoped that the thieves would not be trigger happy. He thought that his best bet was to announce his arrival in order to avoid surprising the thieves and provoking a knee jerk reaction which could easily end with his face on the wrong end of a pointed gun. As he took the last few steps towards the shipping and receiving room, he took a deep breath and called out loudly as he opened the door.

'Alright, Phil. It's time for your break' he called out as he opened the door and peered inside

He immediately caught sight of the three masked men and instantly put his arms up in surrender showing the trio he was no threat to them.

'Whoa, whoa, what's going on here?' Neal said, in mock surprise

'Who the hell are you?' said one of the men brandishing a gun as he made his way towards Neal, looking him over and waving the weapon in his face

'I'm just here to relieve Phil for his break' said Neal, feigning shock and sounding nervous as he was pulled into the room by the first man

Neal glanced around the room, immediately spotting a man's body lying by the desk but despite the horror of _that _revelation, he was even more shocked at what he saw when he looked up, totally astounded at the sight of his wife sitting nearby tied to a chair.

He managed to keep his wits about him momentarily, realizing he had to let Peter know that the hotel employee had been fatally shot.

'Is ... is that guy d..dead?' he asked, his eyes returning to Sara's face

It was difficult to tell which of the two was more shocked to see the other. Neal had no idea Sara was even going to be at the hotel and he began to deduce that she had probably come to share her displeasure directly with the guy who had messed with her precious luncheon plans. Sara, on the other hand, looked Neal up and down, dressed in a maintenance uniform and knew immediately that the White Collar Unit had been called in and that he had offered to go in and do recon – she shuddered at the thought that they were both in this vulnerable situation and she thought of their daughter safely miles away in White Plains.

'This just gets better and better. Just what we need, another hostage' said Mateo, sarcastically.

'Get your ass in here and keep your mouth shut' he added as he roughly pushed Neal towards where Sara was tied up.

He began pacing the room, nervously as his two cohorts stood waiting for their orders. Finally, Mateo looked up.

'What the hell are you waiting for, Joey?' he barked at his cohort 'Tie him up'

Neal glanced at Sara whose face had slowly begun to regain some color. He looked into her eyes trying to convey that, despite the obvious, everything would be okay and he would find a way to get them out of this mess. A second chair was pulled out and Neal was unceremoniously dumped in it as he continued to play his role as the hapless maintenance guy who had somehow stumbled into the situation.

Peter sat in the van where the team had set up to listen to the goings on inside the hotel. He and Jones sat, headphones on, waiting for some clue as to who they were dealing with and what was going on inside. Before devising any plan, they had to know what they were up against, the number of intruders, possibly their MO and more importantly their state of mind. Two lives were at stake and from what Neal had just blurted out, the loading dock attendant had been killed most likely when he intervened to stop the thieves; there was no room for error if they were going to carry out this operation to a safe conclusion for all involved.

They could hear Neal talking through their headphones.

'Why don't you let this lady go?' he was saying 'You don't need two of us'

'Shut up!' screamed Mateo 'You're not running the show here – Tim' he added as he looked down at Neal's shirt

Neal's hands, tied behind his back, reached over and he gently skimmed Sara's hand with his own, trying somehow to reassure her. He'd been in a lot worse messes in his life but he had never been in a situation where he had to worry about his wife's safety as well as his own.

'What's your name?' he said softly, pretending that he was simply trying to reassure her. He needed to let Peter know who was sitting tied up next to him and Sara knew immediately that that's what he was trying to do.

'Sara Ellis' she responded softly

Peter and Jones exchanged looks, shocked at this revelation. How the hell had Sara gotten herself mixed up in this? It was one thing to have Neal, undercover when he had all his wits about him but this was a whole other matter. Not only did his ex-CI have to manage a potentially dangerous situation, he was now worried about keeping his wife safe as well. Peter thought back to what Neal had confided in him barely an hour before – if Sara _was_ pregnant, that just made the situation even more volatile and could throw Neal even further off his game.

'Shut up you two' screamed the ring leader, once more 'You see this guy here?' he said pointing to poor Phil who had paid with his life for interfering in the trio's plans.

'He tried to be a hero and look what happened to him' he shouted, brandishing his gun

Neal took a deep breath. He needed to back off and diffuse the situation. He knew that Peter was listening to everything – he just needed to let the men talk in the hopes that they would provide some helpful clues that would help Peter and the team prepare an exit plan.

'What are we gonna do, Mateo?' said the third man who hadn't spoken yet

Mateo nervously looked out at the loading dock. He could see police cars nearby and realized that their planned exit strategy was no longer an option. Their only hope was to negotiate in order to leave with the goods and for that they needed their hostage or in this case, hostages.

The phone rang on the desk breaking the eerie silence and Neal glanced briefly at Sara. He suspected Peter was reaching out to the thieves to begin to negotiate a deal for their release.

Mateo walked over and pushed the intercom button and suddenly Peter's voice was flooding the room.

'This is Peter Burke from the FBI. Who am I talking to?' he said, authoritatively

Neal relaxed a little at the sound of his partner's familiar voice.

Mateo laughed, his twisted chortle resonating in the cavernous room.

'You just never mind who this is. What you might be interested in knowing is that I have a couple of reluctant guests with me here that I would gladly give back for the right price' he answered

Peter looked over at Jones, picking up on a slight accent in the voice – Mexican or Spanish perhaps?

'Are your guests safe?' asked Peter

'For now' said Mateo, cryptically

'I want to talk to them' said Peter

Mateo pointed to Neal with his gun, signaling he could speak up

'I'm Tim Morley, I work maintenance here at the hotel' Neal said haltingly as he continued to play his befuddled role to perfection

The thug then pointed at Sara. 'My name is Sara Ellis' she said simply

'What about Phil Jackson?' Peter asked, already knowing the answer

'He's slightly indisposed' answered Mateo with a sick smile on his face as he looked down at the corpse nearby.

'I need a show of good faith' continued Peter 'If you want us to play ball with you, you need to let one of your hostages go'

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

'Call back when you have something useful to say. And get those damn police cars away from the loading dock if you want to talk to me' said Mateo angrily as he disconnected the call

Peter turned towards Diana who was standing by with a couple of members of the Harvard crew.

'Diana, see if you can find anything on a guy with first name Mateo and a second guy, Joey – Hispanic, I think'

'Right, boss' she answered as she began plugging away at her computer

'And get Sanders to back off outside the loading dock. The police presence is making them nervous. I don't want them getting trigger happy. They've already shown us they're not afraid to use a gun'

Peter returned to his headphones hoping to find out a little more.

'Mateo' said a voice they hadn't heard before 'What are we gonna do about Manny?'

'Don't worry about Manny, he's staying in the wings until we need him'

Peter piped up again, turning towards Diana 'And there's a Manny. See if these guys are part of a crew. I get the feeling they're family or something'

'Sure thing' answered Diana

'Jones' continued Peter 'I think we probably have a van or truck lurking on a nearby street. Take a drive and see if you see anything suspicious but don't intervene just yet'

'Got it' answered Jones as he prepared to leave the van with two of the crew.

WCWCWC

The room grew quiet for a moment as the trio paced and continued to check the goings on just outside the loading dock. Although the dock was visible to anyone looking out from the mail room, the reverse wasn't the case. Despite the large opening – big enough for a truck to back up into – anyone looking in was hampered by strips of heavy plastic ostensibly put there to keep the elements such as rain out of the shipping and receiving room. As the thugs watched, they could see the squad cars begin to pull away and out of view.

Sara and Neal sat quietly, letting Peter pick up on the exchanges between the men and letting Agent Burke draw his own conclusions. Neal had been paying attention to what had been said and thus far he realized that Peter already knew the following: the hotel employee had been killed, Sara was being held hostage and he knew the names of two of the three crooks plus the fact that someone named Manny, most likely their driver, was out there somewhere nearby awaiting instructions.

Every once in a while, Neal would glance over at Sara, trying to communicate with his eyes and hoping to keep her calm and centered. She had never seen her husband quite like this before, knee deep in action, focussed and doing the job she'd always known he was so good at. Neal seemed totally in control; she on the other hand could feel her body shaking and her knees weakening. Sara glanced over at him, with a small smile, happy he was there next to her; even though their situation was still dire, she gathered strength and courage from his physical presence next to her.

Over the years, Neal had proven time and time again that he could work under pressure, remaining calm, all the while finding solutions even when there seemed to be no way out. Sara was headstrong and witty and could hold her own in a verbal exchange with crooks and fences but it was all false bravado – Neal, on the other hand was capable of making anyone believe pretty well anything he needed them to believe and he could usually talk or charm his way, unharmed, out of anything he'd gotten himself into.

The trio began whispering and Neal took advantage of the situation, glancing over at Sara.

'I'm going to try to get them to let you go' he said under his breath

'No' whispered Sara 'I'm not leaving you here alone'

'Sara, please, this is one of those rare times you've got to do what I tell you. I know what I'm doing' murmured Neal, insistently

'Hey, shut up over there' called out Mateo from the huddle in the middle of the room

'Look' said the thief to his two cohorts 'I just want to get the hell out of here with some of this loot. Maybe the Fed is right – let's let the guy go; it'll buy us some leverage. We'll still have the girl - she's worth more to us, anyway - chicks always are'

'Well, she's certainly prettier than he is' added Joey with a leer in Sara's direction

'Stay focussed, Joey' Mateo barked 'She's not here for your entertainment'

Neal could sense that they were about to make a move – if they were planning on letting him go in exchange for some concession from the police, that would leave Sara on her own – and he was definitely not going to let that happen. He needed to make himself indispensable to the crooks somehow, and a idea occurred to him as he thought back to the plans he'd had a glimpse of before he came in.

WCWCWC

Peter turned to his team, huddled in the van.

'Diana, anything on these guys, yet?'

'I think I found them – Mateo Suarez, his brother Manny, Joey Santos and Jose Perez. They were arrested for fencing stolen goods and suspected in that heist at the Weston Museum last year. They go by the crew name 'Mexican Maniacs'. Small time, really - but from a gang background and certainly not afraid to use guns'

'Alright' sighed Peter 'keep digging, find out all you can about them. I'll try to make contact again. Neal can handle himself but if we can at least get Sara out of there...'

The phone rang on the late Phil Jackson's desk once again and Mateo walked slowly to answer.

'This is Agent Burke again. Look, we've moved the cars out of the loading dock area. You've got to give me something. Why don't you let the woman go; she's innocent in all of this'

Sara looked uneasily at Neal. As much as she couldn't wait to get out of this place, she wasn't about to walk out and leave Neal alone with these thugs. Neal looked straight ahead, not giving anything away, holding his breath and hoping that within a few minutes, she would be safely out of reach of these gun wielding crooks.

'Look, Burke we'll give you the maintenance guy but I want something in exchange. I want to walk out of here with my associates and some crates and I want guarantees you won't tail us'

Neal stared ahead, not blinking. No way was he walking out; he had to find a way to make himself essential to their escape plans so they would hold on to him and let Sara go.

'Let me see what I can do' answered Peter, stalling for time. He knew that Neal would be trying to think of some reason for the men to keep him around and he needed to give Neal the time he needed to put forward any idea he was percolating to the motley crew.

The phone went dead and Mateo banged his fist loudly on the desk sending the desk lamp flying onto the floor.

'Dammit' he yelled as he realized he wasn't getting the leverage he thought he had

'Joey, grab the chick' he yelled to his partner

Joey walked over to Sara, untying her feet from the chair and roughly pulling her up and dragging her to where Mateo stood, boiling mad. She stood, unsteady at first, her legs almost giving out as she let herself be pulled forcefully across the floor to the middle of the room.

Mateo put the gun against Sara's cheek and brought his face up to hers.

'Sara, was it? Tell me, do you have anybody special waiting for you at home?' he asked in an effort to intimidate her. When the Fed called back, it would be very helpful for him to hear a frightened hostage in the background.

'Huh?' he insisted

'I...I have a little girl' said Sara, finally as fear took over.

'Ah, that's sweet. We'll make sure to mention that to the nice man when he calls back' said Mateo, mocking her

Neal looked on in horror, realized he was running out of time. These guys were no strangers to violence and he couldn't chance Sara getting caught in the crossfire. In a calm and resigned voice, he spoke as he watched Sara being manhandled by the overzealous Mateo.

'Look, guys, I think I can help you get out of here' he said, softly but authoritatively

This seemed to get the ringleader's attention as he turned from Sara towards Neal, a questioning look on his face.

'This better be good Tim 'cause you have not been spoken to and you just interrupted my nice little chat with Sara here' uttered Mateo barely keeping his anger in check

'I know this hotel inside out. There are a lot of exits that the police have no idea about including the staff entrance which connects underground and comes out on the next street over. They wouldn't have any idea about that' said Neal as he tried to remember the plans he had studied briefly before coming in. The Kent was a very old hotel and an underground tunnel had been built back in the early 1920's which exited onto the next block.

Peter, hearing this through his headphones, realized Neal was playing his trump card – it was a way of getting Sara out of there by making himself essential to the crooks and of letting Peter know where they'd be coming out so they could be intercepted when they emerged at the other end.

'Keep listening Diana' he shouted as he stepped out of the van and made his way to where a makeshift command post had been set up by the hotel entrance. The young manager was standing by and Peter approached him, quickening his step.

'What's this about an underground tunnel leading to the staff entrance' asked Peter as he grabbed for the plans

'There's an old tunnel that we seldom use but it does connect to the staff entrance in the basement' the young man explained, pointing at the plans 'It comes out one block over on Dixon'

Peter looked at the plans, marvelling at how Neal had managed to pick up on that detail in the few seconds he'd had to study the layout of the hotel. Leave it to an ex-conman to have an eagle eye when it came to building plans and exit strategies.

'Take me there' Peter said, as he followed the young man

'You're making that up' Mateo was saying as he stared Neal down

'No, I'm not. I can take you' said Neal

'Jose, Joey, keep on an eye on the girl. Tim and I are going for a little walk' he said as he pushed Sara towards them and made his way to Neal, roughly untying his feet from the chair.

Neal stood, his hands tied behind his back. Truth be told, he could have gotten out of those ropes in less than thirty seconds when they were first put on but he wasn't looking to escape. For once, he wanted to remain a hostage up until the moment he could bring this whole sordid episode to a peaceful conclusion.

He thought he'd try one last time: 'Why don't you let her go. She'll just get in the way' Neal said, nodding towards Sara

'That's not your decision to make. Now shut up and start walking' said the thug as he pushed Neal towards the door, keeping the gun on his back. Neal took once last backward glance at his wife before stepping out of the room and beginning the long trek down the corridor. He hoped he had gotten the layout right because both their lives depended on it.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

The hallways echoed as the two men made their way down the corridors of the deserted Kent Hotel. Neal knew the general direction of the tunnel he'd seen in the diagrams and he began to pray that the plans he'd seen were up to date and that the tunnel was still connected and would lead them outside onto the street. With time, it might have become obsolete and if that was the case, Mateo would know he was bluffing putting himself – and Sara – in danger.

They went down the stairs to the second basement level, with Neal's eyes darting up and down every corridor they passed, trying desperately to keep his internal compass working and continuing south from the room they had just left. Finally, they could see a door at the very end of a long corridor and Neal made one last silent plea that this was the door and that it would open when the handle was turned.

Mateo, keeping one hand on his gun, reached with the other as he grabbed the door handle, realizing it was locked.

'This door is locked!' he said, angrily

'We keep it locked' said Neal, trying to sound matter of fact 'If you'll just untie my hands, I can get it open for you'

'Just hand me the keys' said Mateo, impatiently

'I don't have my keys but I can get it open if you just untie me' said Neal, hoping he wasn't pushing his captor too far

The thief looked at him, uncertain of what to do.

'Look, you're holding a gun on me' said Neal 'I'm not going to try anything but I can get the door open for you if you just untie me'

Mateo reluctantly turned Neal around pulling at the rope and keeping his gun trained on him while he set him free.

'Go, do it' he said finally

Neal reached into his pocket, pulling out his trusty lock pick set and went to work on the door handle, hands slightly shaking under Mateo's watchful eye. The door clicked open and Mateo motioned Neal to step through while he followed him with his gun drawn. Neal let out a relieved breath and began down the long corridor which was located directly under the street, the sound of their footsteps resonating in the empty, damp hall. At the end of the long hallway, they came to a set of stairs and finally a door with a panic bar which opened up onto the street.

Mateo opened the door slightly and looked out noticing that it was indeed the next street over from the hotel. There was not a police car in sight and he smiled, realizing that Tim may have just found them their way out.

'Alright, we're going back' he said roughly pulling at Neal's shirt and pointing him in the direction of the hotel.

Sara was back sitting in the chair, her hair disheveled and her face flushed when the men returned to the loading dock. Neal glanced at his wife as he was pushed back down onto the chair next to her and tied up once again. He hoped they hadn't hurt her while he was gone but Sara gave no indication either way as she kept her eyes trained to the floor.

'We've found a way out that the police have no idea about' announced Mateo to his crew 'Now, start loading up some of this shit on that dolly over there and hurry up'

'Sure thing, boss' said Joey as he began to gather some of the crates that were littering the room

'What about Manny?' said the third man

'I'll take care of Manny' answered Mateo as he grabbed his phone from his pocket and dialed his brother with the new instructions.

'Just sit tight – we'll be coming out of this door right on Dixon between Sixth and Seventh. We should be there in ten, fifteen minutes' Mateo was saying into his phone

WCWCWC

Peter Burke and Clinton Jones made their way three blocks over from the hotel and waited patiently as they watched Manny Suarez sitting in a black van. Finally, Manny made his move and started to make his way through traffic and towards Dixon Road which was a quiet street away from the hubbub of store fronts and pedestrians. Many of the businesses had their back door facing onto the street making it more of a loading area and a one way exit from some of the stores. There were a number of unidentified doors, most of which were strictly exit door with no way of getting in. Mateo had described the door in question as best he could and Manny made his way up the street finally settling on the spot his big brother had identified on the phone.

Peter and Jones slowly walked up to the van, on either side, guns drawn.

'Manny Suarez' said Peter as he opened the door to the van. 'We're going to need you to step out'

WCWCWC

The two men worked diligently as Mateo supervised, keeping a close eye on the two hostages who were once again securely (or so he thought) tied to their chairs. Neal continued to play along, remaining tethered to his chair and biding his time. He hoped that Peter had heard everything and that he'd be waiting for the men on the other end of the tunnel. He was also hopeful that the men would be ambushed before they could take off; otherwise, he was afraid they might decide to bring Sara along for the ride.

Neal's hope was that the men would leave them behind to be found by police once they'd made their escape but the trio had other ideas.

'I'm not taking any chances. Tim, you're going to push the cart and lead the way and little lady, you're coming along for insurance purposes' said Mateo as he pulled Sara up from the chair

Sara stood, her arm held roughly by the thug and she took one last look around the room.

'Wait, I'm not leaving without my shoes. Those things are worth $600!' she said as she reached down to grab the one good shoe and the second one which had the heel broken off

'Women!' uttered Mateo as he let her pick up the shoes and proceeded to take her arm and pull her along, bringing up the rear.

The cart had been loaded up with as many treasures as it could hold and the procession slowly began its way through the bowels of the hotel. Joey led the way with Neal following behind him pushing the heavy dolly with Jose close behind, gun in hand, pointed at Neal. Mateo brought up the rear as he pulled Sara along, not leaving her side and waving his gun to make a point whenever he felt her lagging behind.

As they approached the end of the long straight hall which led to the tunnel, Neal became aware of another problem. The cart full of art he was pushing could not be brought down the stairs to the second basement and the men would expect a maintenance guy like him to know exactly where the service elevators were located. He began to review the layout of the hotel in his mind's eye, trying to imagine where they would logically be located in relation to the design of the building. On their first visit minutes before, he had noticed some rooms were being used for storage on the second basement floor so he knew there had to be an elevator which went down there. He began to look up and down the hallways they passed, feigning fatigue at pushing the heavy cart.

'Move it, Tim' yelled Mateo from the back of the pack 'We haven't got all day'

Neal glanced up a hall way they were passing and saw the telltale signs of a large cart used to transport bedding and towels and he slowed down.

'What' going on?' asked Mateo 'Running out of gas?'

'No, the elevator to go down to the second basement is down this hallway' said Neal, pointing

The five of them squeezed into the elevator as Neal pushed in the heavy cart. The service elevator made its way down to the second basement and the group stepped out, resuming the order in which they had been moments before. They finally arrived at the door which led to the tunnel and Neal proceeded to push the cart down the long dingy hall with Sara following barefoot with Mateo as they continued to bring up the rear.

There was still the matter of the seven or so steps that needed to be climbed to the door leading to the street and Neal knew that once they got there, the men would be preoccupied with making their way up and down the stairs as they loaded up their van with the coveted items. He hoped that Peter was waiting on the other side of the door and that the takedown would be done safely without any harm coming to Sara. The men were all armed and in a blink of an eye a shot could be fired ending in tragedy.

They arrived at the bottom of the stairs and Mateo instructed Joey to open the door and see if Manny was waiting outside for them. Joey made his way up the steps and they could hear the door opening and closing as he made his way back.

'The van is right outside' reported Joey as he returned

'Alright, start loading up. Tim, you help them' said Mateo as he maintained his grasp on Sara

Neal grabbed several of the crates and started to make his way up the steps as he followed Joey who was carrying a large painting. As they stepped out into the bright sunlight, Neal sensed a presence on either side of the door as Joey was grabbed and immediately pulled away by two uniformed police officers before he knew what hit him. Jose, who was following Neal was given the same treatment as he was slammed against the building and disarmed in one fell swoop.

Neal looked on with concern as he realized Mateo was still inside and he was still holding Sara. He motioned to Peter who was standing nearby to hold off as he made his way back down the short set of stairs to pick up another armload of stolen goods.

'Where are Joey and Jose?' Mateo asked warily as Neal returned alone

'They're just putting stuff in the van' answered Neal as he tried to think of a way to get Sara out of Mateo's grasp and up the stairs

'What's going on, here?' asked Mateo, suddenly suspicious as he noticed his cohorts weren't coming back. 'Why you son of a b - '

He raised his gun and aimed it straight at Neal as he realized they had been ambushed and as he did he momentarily loosened his hold on Sara.

She didn't waste any time in reacting. Before Neal knew what had happened, Sara had raised her arm, shoe firmly in hand and administered a striking blow to Mateo's head with her four inch stiletto heel, bringing him down in one fell swoop with his gun clattering to the floor.

'Peter!' screamed Neal, letting his partner know this would be an opportune time to make his presence known. Neal grabbed for Sara pulling her up the stairs as Peter and two of the crew came charging down reaching Mateo as he began to slowly recover from the shoe attack he had just been the victim of.

Sara and Neal made their way out onto the sidewalk, as Sara finally realized what had just happened and began to shake uncontrollably.

'$600 dollar shoes, huh?' said Neal as he pulled his wife to him, feeling her trembling

'Hey, they've got to be good for something, right?' she responded as she finally let herself relax

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Sara was checked out by the paramedics and given the green light; she had slightly injured her ankle when she'd broken her shoe and except for some residual trembling, she was fine. Neal was also given the once over as Peter watched over the couple anxiously.

The Mexican Maniacs had been shackled up and driven away and an ambulance had taken away the unfortunate lone casualty. The loading dock was cordoned off and agents began the job of piecing together all the events before the case could be put to bed. Things slowly began to return to normal as guests were allowed back into the hotel and staff returned to their duties.

Neal and Sara made their way home, arriving just before dinnertime and taking a few minutes before heading over to pick up Hope at the Masons. The phone was ringing as they stepped into the house.

'Hello' said Sara, slightly breathless

'Sara, you're home! Are you okay?' said Donna Mason on the other end

'Yes, we're fine. We'll be over to get Hope in a few minutes, okay?'

'Never mind that. Hope is fine. I saw the news...' said her friend in a worried voice

'Oh, yeah, I guess it would be on the news' echoed Sara 'Hope doesn't know, does she?' she added suddenly worried that her daughter might be traumatized by hearing that both her parents had been held hostage in a Manhattan hotel.

'No, of course not. The kids are playing out in the yard. Look, you guys take it easy and I'll bring Hope home after dinner, okay' she offered

'Thanks Donna, that would be great. I could use a shower and a glass of wine' she answered as she spied Neal giving her a dirty look. 'Or at least a cup of tea'

Neal put the kettle on and insisted on drawing a bath for Sara before they had dinner. It had been a very angst filled day and although he was used to going undercover, Sara was most definitely not.

He sat on the toilet and chatted with her as she soaked in the tub, with Neal rubbing her feet.

'I don't know which one of us was more shocked when I walked into that room' he said with a smile

Sara laughed sardonically. 'Well, I have to say that if I had to be tied up with someone, I'm glad it was you'

'Ditto' added Neal

'You were amazing, Neal. I always knew you were great at your job but seeing you in action like that was really something. You stayed so calm the whole time'

'All subterfuge, ma'am' he responded 'I was shaking like a leaf thinking something could happen to you. I'll tell you something - I'm never gonna comment on your choice of shoes again' he added with a grin.

He suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to hold his wife in his arms and he reached down placing a gentle kiss on her lips.

'So - how much time do we have before Hope comes home?' he asked with a twinkle in his eye

WCWCWC

Hope arrived shortly after Neal and Sara had finished 'dinner' and Sara held her close as she welcomed her home. The thought that she could be separated from her daughter was overwhelming and she squeezed her so tight that Hope finally squirmed out of her grasp so she could go watch some TV before bedtime.

Neal and Sara put her to bed together, feeling the need to hold on to all that was good in their lives. On their way to bed, they stopped in to check on her once again and stood silently watching her sleep for a good five minutes before going to prepare for bed, themselves.

'Hi' said Sara, quietly as she stepped into the bedroom

Neal was lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, going over the events of the day, thankful that they were finally both safe and sound at home.

'I got my period' Sara said sadly as she made her way to the bed

'Aww, I'm sorry' said Neal as he sat up to take her in his arms

'It's shitty, I know' said Sara as she buried her face in his shoulder. He could feel her trembling slightly and he wasn't sure if it was from the news she had just shared or the after effects of the events of the afternoon.

'Are you okay?' asked Neal, concerned

'No. It's never okay. Neal, maybe we should stop trying; it's just too hard to go through this every month' Sara said as she looked up at him

'I'm sorry this is so tough on you. Maybe if we just relax and I stop pushing so hard' Neal conceded as he looked into Sara's eyes

Tears were welling up and although she didn't often let her emotions get the better of her, she was exhausted from her little adventure and she was upset so she let herself go and began to sob as she melted into Neal's arms.

'We have a beautiful little girl; we are so lucky' said Neal, trying his best to console her

'I know, I know...' sobbed Sara

'Come on' Neal whispered as he pulled her into bed and reached over to turn off the bedside lamp

'Let's not look at the calendar anymore. We'll just have sex whenever we feel like having sex... and I promise not to make you lie in bed for twenty minutes with your ankles hanging from the ceiling after each time' he said, trying to make Sara smile

'And... I won't bring up the subject until you do. Would that help?' he asked, holding her close

He could feel Sara nodding against his shoulder and start to relax.

It had been a hell of a day, with unexpected danger and excitement and Neal began to realize the enormity of what he held in his arms. Suddenly, all that mattered was that he was holding Sara against him, that she was out of harm's way and that Hope was safe in her bed a few feet away.

WCWCWC

Sara took a deep breath as she stepped into the Kent Hotel at eleven o'clock on Thursday morning. The place looked nothing like it had the day before – not a police car in sight and plenty of staff, busily going about their business.

She made her way to the Fountain Room as she gingerly walked past the Ballroom, glancing in and seeing the art collection all around the room. There were guards at all the doors as well as a few more milling around and she could see patrons walking around the room, admiring each other's treasures.

The Fountain Room looked gorgeous. Her instructions had been painfully precise and the hotel staff had done an excellent job of setting it up exactly as she'd asked. The tables were set beautifully with party favors in front of every place setting and tasteful decorations throughout the room. She made her way to the front, checking out the podium, making sure the microphone was in good working order and intercepting the staff responsible for catering to go over the details of the meal.

The luncheon went off without a hitch leaving everyone in a feel good mood as they exited, thanking Sara for her hard work. Mr. Bosch approached her on his way out, pleased at the outcome of the event.

'Excellent work as usual, Miss Ellis' he said as he walked past her, a small comment but large out of the mouth of her boss who didn't give compliments easily.

Sara smiled, pleased that she had managed to pull it off. The staff were happy and her bosses were happy, what more could she want...

WCWCWC

'Oh, my God, this is so graphic!' said Sara as she began thumbing through the book Neal had picked up for Hope

Neal was standing by the stove, stirring the spaghetti sauce and he looked over at his wife, eyebrows raised : 'Really Sara?' he said, deadpan 'How old are you?'

'I mean, are we really ready for her to see this … and know this?' she asked, eyes glued to the pages

'Sara, it's a book intended for 3 to 5 year olds, it's fine' said Neal, trying to reassure his frazzled wife

'Oh!' gasped Sara, turning another page and seeing the drawing of a couple engaged in sexual intercourse

'Seriously?' said Neal 'We can't let her go on with some half-baked notion that men pee inside their partners to get them pregnant'

'What?' she asked, shocked

'The other night... that's what started the whole thing. Olivia told Hope that daddies peed inside mommies to make babies' Neal said, tending to the pasta

'Oh my god! Why didn't you tell me?' Sara said, horrified

Neal glared at his wife once more. For a strong, secure, independent woman who had always taken charge of her sexuality and had no compunction about running the show in the bedroom when it suited her, she could be such a prude.

'Look, if she's old enough to ask, she's old enough to know the basics - ' said Neal

Suddenly a noise could be heard from the front of the house putting an abrupt end to their conversation.

'Is dinner almost ready?' Hope called as she made her way down the stairs

WCWCWC

'Daddy got you a new book, did you see?' Sara asked as Hope slipped into her pajamas

Hope glanced over on the bed where she could see the book laying there unopened. She had begun to recognize words and could read simple texts. Sara saw her squint as she tried to understand the title of the book.

'A book about babies?' she asked, seemingly confused

'Well, Daddy said you had some questions the other night about how babies are made so we thought you might like this book' answered Sara, feeling slightly nervous yet encouraged to be holding a book that held the answers to all the questions her daughter might possibly have.

Hope settled in and Sara opened the first page of the book revealing drawings of an anatomically correct naked man and naked woman. They began discussing the body parts, which Hope knew well – Sara and Neal, although by no means exhibitionists, had never been shy about nudity after a bath or shower and Hope had grown up knowing the proper names and functions of boys' and girls' body parts.

Sara would have been happy to just call it a day at that point and close the book only to re-open it when Hope hit her teens but her daughter had other ideas and she took the book from her mom's hands and turned the page, continuing to glance at the pictures and asking questions as she went.

'Does Daddy do this to _you_?' she asked, her eyes bright and fully interested as she glanced at the picture of the couple engaged in sex.

'Well, not… well, he doesn't do it TO me, honey. See, the mommy is smiling in the picture. It feels good when Daddy holds me in his arms and kisses me….'

'But the other night, you were making those noises. Did it hurt?' she asked, genuinely concerned

'No, of course not' said Sara not wanting to leave her daughter with the impression that Neal would ever do anything to hurt her

'It was a happy noise' she said rather awkwardly as Hope continued studying her face

It was one thing to talk about the mechanics of sex and its role in making babies but talking about her own sex life with Neal to her four year old just wasn't sitting well with her.

'You know that ice cream you had at Grandma June's – the one you really liked?' she asked, deciding on a different approach

'The fudge chocolate supreme with chocolate chips?' asked Hope, smiling as she remembered

'Yeah, well the other day when you were having it, you were making some moaning noises too: Mmm, mmm. Remember?' Sara said as she gave her daughter a gentle shove with her shoulder.

Hope just smiled.

Finally, Sara could see Hope's mind wandering and she hoped she wasn't going to ask for any more details about what she'd seen when she'd walked in on them a few nights before. But Hope had moved on, like every normal four year old whose mind is running on all pistons and she finally closed the book, looking up at her mom.

'Tomorrow night, could I have the dinosaur book?' Hope asked, finally tiring of the new acquisition and setting it aside.

Thank heavens for short attention spans, Sara thought as she gladly took the book from Hope and set it on the nearby bookcase.

'You can have any book you want' said Sara, hugging her daughter

La fin


End file.
